Yes, the Lions ARE Super Bowl contenders; plus, the keys to Cleveland's defense and Miami's run game

Former NFL player and scout Bucky Brooks knows the ins and outs of this league, providing keen insight in his notebook. Today's installment covers:

But first, a look at one franchise that's CLEARLY on the rise ...

Everybody loves a Cinderella story. That's why football fans from coast to coast are gravitating toward the Detroit Lions. This is a feel-good story with an undeniable rags-to-riches quality that people can rally around.

Remember: Detroit is one of four active NFL teams (alongside Cleveland, Jacksonville and Houston) that has never made a Super Bowl. The Lions have just ONE playoff victory since winning their last NFL championship in 1957. They haven't won a division title since 1993, before the NFC North was even a thing. (Detroit finished atop the NFC Central in that season.) Currently in its 94th NFL campaign, this organization has never even enjoyed back-to-back seasons with double-digit wins.

Long story short, this hasn't exactly been one of the league's banner franchises. And yet, going back to last November, the Lions have put together a spirited 13-3 run. This isn't just an inspiring blip, either.

This Detroit team is for real.

Head coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes have transformed a longtime also-ran into a legitimate Super Bowl contender. And they've done so by assembling a roster full of talented players with blue-collar attitudes. The Lions not only reflect the gritty pride of the Motor City, but they are a tenacious, tough-minded group with the capacity to play bully ball against the heavyweights in the league.

Everyone remembers Campbell's epic introductory press conference, when he passionately talked about building a team that would "bite a kneecap off." Clearly, the former NFL